Coming Home
by lillipadmom
Summary: Completely broken after her mom's death, Bella finally returns home. Will the help of her friends and a bit of supernatural assistance help Bella get what she's always desired? ONE-SHOT for Breath-of-Twilight's Countdown to Halloween II. M for Lang/Lemons


A/N: Behold… my very first one shot story… an entry for Breath-of-Twilight's Countdown To Halloween II! I am finally posting if here for all of your viewing pleasure and as usual ask that you leave me a review, constructive or otherwise in the form of at leasdt a few words to let me know hw I did…

I know that I have been AWOL from LTC for a while and want to assure you all that I have NOT given up on it but have been very sick and will be picking things up again once I am in better working order, which should be shortly… as with any writer doing this for fun and not money… RL tends to get in the way and the first things to go are the extras and right now that is my writing… if o could do just that all day, everyday just for all of you BBs I would, BELIEVE THAT !

A Big thanks to my 2 fab bets on this… Breath-of Twilight and DT… you guys make my story so much better than I could on my own… me not so good with ad commas and grammars…

Anyhow… on with it….

Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All intellectual properties associated with each one shot belong to the fan fiction author. Plagiarism is theft. No copying or reproduction of any of these works is permitted without express written authorization. Thank you.

Coming Home

BPOV

It had been almost 2 years since I had been back here.

Forks, Washington.

Population 3,275.

The epitome of nowhere, USA.

I loved it.

I loved everything about Forks. Call me crazy, but I loved the cool damp weather, the lush green forests, the sweet earthy smell of the trees and moss. Of course, the trees had changed to red, russet, and gold, indicating that my favorite season was now upon me.

I especially loved the small town atmosphere, the way the people helped each other out here. The good people of Forks cared, they protected and nurtured, they loved.

They meddled and they overstepped as well, but they took care of their own. Even when Renee was at her very worst, they took care of her, took care of us.

It was for that reason that I recalled my years in this town, even those last few days here, with sad but fond memories.

We had lived in Forks for as long as I could remember. My parents moved us here from Port Angeles when I was four. I was the only child of the town police chief and the town free spirit. Charlie, my dad, was as staid and responsible as Renee was flaky and off kilter, but they complimented each other perfectly.

They met in their freshman year of high school and were married and had me four years later. They loved each other immensely and were inseparable up until my mother's passing. Renee, who was so full of life, died of Breast Cancer on Halloween day, her favorite holiday, two years ago.

My father couldn't bear to sell the house they shared their life in but he couldn't bear to live in it either. He swore her ghost remained with the house, that he could feel her there as he moved about the rooms. I thought that I had felt it too, but soon after the funeral, I left to go back to school and he was left alone. He finally couldn't take it anymore, packed everything up and moved himself to Phoenix. Of course, that wasn't the reason he gave me. He said he wanted to go someplace warm for his retirement, but we both knew it was because he wanted to be as far away from that house and her memory as he could get.

While it was devastating to see him so brokenhearted and bereft without her, I understood and spent the last few breaks from school with him in Arizona. The house remained closed, waiting for one of us to be ready to come back to it and restore it to its previous comfortable, homey, and lived-in self.

It had taken a while, but I was ready now, or so I thought. With school finished and Dad happy in Phoenix, dating a lovely woman named Sue, it was time for me to come back to the only home I had ever really known.

This was why after two years, I stood at the curb, staring at the too tall grass in the yard and the faded red paint on the shutters of my childhood home, trying to build up the courage to go inside.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I put my suitcase down next to me on the sidewalk and dug into the pocket of my jeans to retrieve it. Fumbling with it, it fell to the ground before I was able to hit the connect button, missing the call.

I huffed, exasperated at my klutzy self, and bent over to grab it just as it began to buzz again. Whoever it was was persistent. Looking at the screen, I saw that it was Alice.

Alice had been my best friend since the first day of Kindergarten. Our mothers met in the school yard that first day and became fast friends, as did we. Our families did just about everything together, holidays, vacations, her mother even helped my dad renovate the house when we decided to care for Renee at home, toward the end of her illness.

I hit the button to connect the call and heard her voice before the phone was even to my ear.

"Bells! Did you get there, yet? Have you gone inside?" Alice was a bundle of energy and it was only 7:30 in the morning.

"Hey, Ali, I'm here. I just got here; I haven't gone in yet. I'm kinda working up to it." I kicked the dirt at my feet with the toe of my old worn chucks, embarrassed at having to admit my hesitation, even if it was to my best friend.

"I figured. Wait there, we're right around the corner." I could hear the smile in her voice as she said it.

"Alice, wait. We? Who's with you? I don't really need an audie-"

She hung up as her car came into view at the end of my street. I was trying to be was honest with her. I didn't need an audience for what was, most assuredly, going to be an emotional day. I noticed she drove her father's Mercedes instead of her pretty, little, yellow Porsche, and was going to walk up to ask why when I noticed a small trailer attached to the back with yard tools and a lawn mower inside.

Blech! Yard work! I hated that shit. One could only hope that we could ask one of the neighbor's kids to tackle that for us.

She hopped out of the car and ran up to me, bouncing the entire way, and threw herself into my arms. It had been too long since we had seen each other. I let her squeeze the life out of me as I heard the passenger car door shut.

Looking up, I noticed him, Edward.

Edward was Alice's twin. Being twins, you would think they would look at least remotely similar, but they really didn't. Where Alice was small and dark, Edward was tall and bronze, which was the only word I could think of to describe his hair, which was a mixture of brown, red, and gold. The unusually bright light of the morning caught it and lit it up like flames, momentarily making my breath catch in my throat. His glorious face looked as if it was surrounded by a halo of golden light. An angel, no, a God.

Edward Cullen was a God sent down from Heaven, or wherever they are created, solely to tempt me, and I was having a hard time breathing at just the sight of him. I wished I could say that he had changed in the few years since I had seen him last, but he hadn't. I mean there were the small things, but nothing overly noticeable. He looked slightly older, his hair a bit lighter and longer than I remembered, his chiseled jaw covered in what I assumed was a few days worth of stubble, but he was still the same Edward I remembered. Full lips, amazing cheek bones, messy sex hair, yup it was Edward alright.

He stood by the back of the car unhitching the trailer, not even looking in our direction. Edward had always been on the shy side. Never one to be completely off by himself, but he didn't seek tons of attention either, we were alike in that way.

I stood there watching him as he lifted the mower out of the trailer and placed it on the grass. The muscles of his biceps were bulging and straining with the weight of it, and his snug gray t-shirt lifted slightly, showing a sliver of toned abs and a dusting of bronze hair that disappeared into the waistband of his low slung jeans.

Dear God, Edward was fine as hell.

We had all been pretty inseparable growing up, and while my relationship with Alice had always been like that of a best friend and sister, my relationship with Edward changed the summer before high school. The summer he went away to baseball camp and Alice and I went to theater camp. It had been the longest time we had ever been away from each other and we had all changed in those two months, more than we thought possible.

That was the summer I realized I was in love with Edward Cullen.

We had all come back at the end of that summer ready for our annual dual family vacation and things were just different. He looked different, carried himself different, and while I couldn't place my fingers on all the ways he changed that summer, I knew he had changed, matured in some ways, and we were different with each other. We had always been close, but that vacation had been awkward to say the least. It was as if I didn't know how to act around him anymore. My heart fluttered when he got close, my cheeks turned pink whenever we touched. I would catch him looking at me sometimes, and it made my body tingle. I didn't really understand what had changed, why I was acting this way around him.

We danced around each other that summer, our families commenting on it more than once. Our relationship had changed, and everyone saw it.

One night, I had caught him kissing Charlotte Dunham, another regular at the resort we went to every summer, out at the gazebo.

They sat on the picnic table, lips touching, her hand on his cheek.

How could he? Charlotte was vile! I was going to be sick.

I ran off before he saw me, I thought. I was wrong. He had followed me to the playground and took the swing next to mine, swinging next to me for a time before saying anything to me, at all. He slowed his swing to a stop and placed his hands on the chains to mine, stopping it, as well, and turning me toward him.

"You okay, B?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, Edward," I said quietly, wiping a stray tear as it trickled slowly down my cheek.

I couldn't let him see me cry.

"I'm sorry, B."

"For what?"

"I know you saw me kissing Charlotte, or actually, her kissing me?"

"She kissed YOU?"

"Yeah, don't sound so surprised, Bella, I'm not that ugly, am I?"

"Oh, that wasn't what I meant at all, Edward, you're not at all ugly, you're … " I let myself trail off, embarrassed that I had almost admitted to him just how attractive I found him.

His eyes were intense as he looked at me. I needed to change the subject, but I had to ask him.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you like it? When she kissed you?"

It was his turn to be embarrassed now. He ducked his head and took a deep breath, huffing it out before answering me. "It was okay, I mean, it was just a kiss."

"I wouldn't really know anything about them. I've never done it." My eyes dropped to my lap again, not wanting to see the pity in his eyes at my confession.

I glanced up briefly to find him staring down at me, somewhat shocked, lips pursed as if he was trying to make a difficult decision.

His hand reached out and lifted my chin so that our eyes met. He looked at me for a second before leaning into me, bringing his face closer to mine, his eyes bright and a deeper green than I had ever seen them. I could smell the cinnamon gum he liked to chew as his breath fanned across my face.

"I want to try something, B. Don't move."

I nodded vacantly, my eyes locked on his as his face slowly came closer to my own. My eyes fluttered closed as our mouths touched.

His lips were warm, soft and moist as they moved on mine. Kissing Edward felt like a bolt of electricity was sent flowing through my body; every nerve ending was on high alert and zinging.

The hand he had on my chin slid into my hair to hold my head to his as he continued to kiss me. I felt his tongue trace the seam of my lips, and I opened for him, and not knowing what else to do, I rubbed my tongue against his, moaning at the sheer deliciousness of his taste. It was the sound of that moan that seemed to bring us both back to reality as he pulled away from me, running his hands through the messy bronze mop of his hair.

"Um, was that okay, B?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah." I touched my fingertips to my still tingling lips.

Wow. My first kiss. It was everything I had dreamed it would be and more, because it was with Edward.

"Well, I should get back, you comin'?"

"Nah, I'm gonna sit for a few more minutes, you go on. I'll be there in a few."

"K."

I watched him walk away, hands in his pockets and took a deep, shaky breath, wondering what that kiss meant to him and if this was the start of something bigger for us.

Edward had been my first kiss, and it was the kiss against which I measured all others that came after it, even to this day.

"Bella, Bella, BELLA!"

I was brought back to the present by Alice yelling and shaking my shoulders.

"Where did you just go, Bella?" She followed my line of sight to where Edward still stood removing things from the trailer and setting them on the sidewalk.

"Nowhere, Alice. I'm here." I said trying to shake away the memories and focus on what I was about to do.

She looked from me to Edward and back again, shaking her head and chuckling, "Sure, Bella. I'm not dumb, you know."

"No one is accusing you of stupidity, Alice. Let's do this, okay?" I said as I walked toward the front door, ending that line of discussion effectively.

I stood at the base of the steps looking up at the old place, rooted to the spot. I wanted to move, to just walk up the steps and open the door, but I couldn't.

"B?" I heard his voice, deep and velvety in my ear. He was standing behind me.

He placed a hand on my shoulder, and I shivered.

"We're right here, B. You can do this." He moved to stand in front of me now, his eyes as dark as the dark green of the evergreens that surrounded us. He smiled tentatively and reached for the bag on the ground next to me, lifting it as if it weighed nothing.

"Edward, thanks for coming today. You too, Ali. You guys are the best friends a girl could have. I don't think I could do this without you."

Edward looked at me intensely for a moment before pursing his lips in that way I loved and walking up the steps to wait by the door.

"Alright, Bells, are you ready?" Alice asked, in an oddly excited tone as she grabbed my hand and squeezed.

"As I will ever be, I guess. Why are you so excited anyway, Alice?"

"Bella, I just have a great feeling about this house. Plus, I'm excited about the Halloween celebration that we're having here next week in Renee's memory. You remember how much she loved a good party? Well, this one is going to be EPIC!"

"Alice, I never agreed to that. I'm not sure I can even sleep here tonight never mind have a party here, besides, the place is probably a mess and coated in about six inches of dust and dead spiders."

"Nonsense, you'll be fine, I know it. Edward and I are staying here with you so we can help you get everything ready. As far as the dust and dead spiders go, it's a Halloween party, so they'll fit right in with the decor. No arguing, we are doing this."

"You're staying? And Edward too?"

"I could go if it would make things easier, B." Edward seemed saddened by my outburst.

"Shit, Edward, I didn't mean it like that. I just don't want to force you guys to hang with me while I deal with all of this."

"Bella, we aren't going anywhere. We'll be here to help you for as long as you need." Alice shot Edward a look and took the key from my hand before walking to the front door, unceremoniously plugging the key into the lock, and turning it with an almost imperceptible click.

I walked through the open door into the living room and looked around the dusty room with all the cloth draped furniture. Everything was just as we had left it, pictures on the walls, dry logs in the fireplace, even a really old TV Guide still sat on the table.

Alice and Edward stopped behind me and took it all in with me. They had been away from this house as long as I had, and it had always been as much of a home away from home for them as their parent's house, a few minutes away, had been for me.

One of them cleared their throat behind me as I turned to head back out to grab a few more bags from the car. I paused as I got back to the threshold of the front door and sniffed.

Odd.

I could have sworn I smelled my mother's perfume. I must be going batty because there was no way that it would linger after this many years.

I shook my head and walked into the living room. My foot caught on something, the rug maybe, and the bags in my hands dropped. I was hurdled forward, as if pushed and hit something solid and warm.

"Easy there, B."

I had fallen into Edward's arms, which tightened around me. I managed to right myself, but he didn't release me right off. I looked up at him and met his eyes, my body tingled where we touched. His face was so close to mine, I could smell his favored gum and his spicy cologne. My body melted against his, my nipples hardened, and my eyes closed as I swayed in his arms slightly. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers down my cheek.

"Bella," he whispered softly.

I was dumbstruck, mouth open and unable to speak in his arms. He almost never called me Bella. I had always been B to him.

Just then, Alice walked through the front door and noisily set a box down just inside the door with a clatter before heading back out to the car.

Our moment gone, Edward looked down at me with mild concern.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks, Edward. Just tripped on the rug or something, you know me."

He still held me to him. I could tell he was worried by the way his eyes narrowed as he looked at my face, now red and heated, and then behind me. His brow furrowed.

"B, there is no rug behind you."

I turned to see that he was right. Huh. I tripped over something. I felt it. I wasn't crazy. I wasn't.

"But I - I felt it. I tripped over something."

"It's okay, B. No biggie, alright? Let's just get these bags upstairs, and then we can thrash some dust elephants."

"Dust elephants? Don't you mean bunnies? Isn't the phrase 'dust bunnies'?"

"B, take a look around you. These bitches are way too big to be bunnies. These are most definitely dust elephants, or rhinos. Dust rhinos does have a certain ring to it, doesn't it?" he said with a chuckle waving his hand at the dusty fireplace mantle and cloths covering the chairs and sofa.

We laughed together until Alice's shriek interrupted us, "For the love of all that's holy, Edward, didn't you call the power company and get the power turned on like I told you to? It's freezing in here!" She stomped over to the thermostat and stood on her tiptoes to see it better.

Edward walked up behind her, "Of course I called, shorty, and it says it's almost 65 degrees in here. I think you're going crazy." He turned to smile his gorgeous half smile at me and winked. Fuck. I was wet instantaneously.

Alice smacked him on the arm. "I'm not crazy, dipshit."

I hadn't noticed with Edward's arms around me, but as the twins bickered, I realized that it really did feel cold in there, "No, Edward, I think she's right," I held my arm out to them, "look at my goose bumps."

Edward reached out with his long index finger and trailed it over the bumps on my skin. I shivered, and the wetness increased. My nipples hardened under his touch, and I saw his eyes drop to my breasts just before I heard his sharp intake of breath.

"I'll get the rest of your stuff from the car," he mumbled, turning abruptly.

With that, we all went to work. We had only had a few days before the Halloween shindig Alice had planned, and I knew it was going to be a mean feat to get the house ready in time, but I had Alice and Edward with me; it would be done.

I loved having them with me. I wasn't ready to be alone in the house just yet, and having them there reminded me of older days, good times.

We worked harder on the house than I ever had, bringing it back to its former self quite quickly, and with only minor incidents.

It was odd. Weird things happened from time to time as we cleaned and painted and just generally spruced the old place up. On the second day I was home, this really ugly and ostentatious mirror that Alice had mounted to the wall came unscrewed and fell off the wall in the middle of the night. What was really odd about it was that no one woke up to the sound of glass breaking and when we found it in the morning, it looked as if it had been stomped into dust, with no hope even for the frame of the thing. Not that I was disappointed about it, the thing was ugly, and I had told Alice so, not that she tended to listen to me.

Things started disappearing and reappearing in the strangest places. On the third day, I woke up and showered early. We were going to paint the dining room, and I wanted to get started right away. I wrapped myself in my favorite soft, fluffy towel and attempted to brush my hair, but when I went to reach for my brush, it wasn't on the bathroom counter where it usually was. I scoured the bathroom and, not finding it, I went across the hall to search in my bedroom.

"Bella, is this yours?" I heard Edward's voice, thick from sleep, coming through my open doorway.

I turned to see Edward, in all his boxer-clad-glory, step into my room holding my hair brush. When he caught site of me, he stopped short, his eyes raking quickly over me before he spoke, "Um..." he held the brush out, "I woke up...this was on my pillow next to, uh...me."

I felt the blood rush to my face as I reached out for it, "Oh...thanks. I was just looking for that. How did it end up on your pillow?"

He gave me a funny look, "I don't know..." he began backing into the hallway, "let me throw on some clothes and we can get started on the dining room."

The sexual tension between us diminished somewhat as Edward and I painted that morning, mostly due to Alice's idea of "helping", which, for the most part, included her standing behind us pointing out the spots we missed. I was kneeling on the floor trying my damnedest not to get any of the blue paint on the white baseboard when I heard Alice whisper in my ear.

"Bella..."

"Why the hell are you whispering, Alice?" I asked.

Edward answered, "Huh?"

Standing up and turning around, I saw that Alice wasn't even in the room, "Where's Alice?"

"I think she went to the kitchen to get that other gallon of paint, why?"

"She just whispered in my ear..." I began, but then I stopped. Out of nowhere, I got those crazy goose bumps again.

Edward stopped rolling his paint roller against a wall and looked at me, concern evident in his expression. "She hasn't been in here in the last five minutes, B." He looked behind him and shivered.

I swallowed convulsively. "Do you feel that too?" I whispered.

He spun in a complete circle then paced to the picture window that faced the front yard, "Kinda feels like someone's watching us." Edward looked at me, but I didn't know what to do or say, so I just stared back for what seemed like an eternity, until Alice burst in on us.

"I think we're going to need more pai..." she trailed off, seeing the matching confusion on both Edward's and my faces. "What's up, guys?"

Edward slowly turned to face his sister, but I couldn't quite move, yet. However, I was the one to speak. "I need to sit down."

Alice grabbed my elbow and steered me into the living room, where she instructed me to sit on the couch. She sat next to me and Edward sat across from us, on the coffee table, our knees almost touching. I could see that Alice was about to speak so I held up a finger to her, letting her know that I needed a moment to collect my thoughts.

"I think we need to take stock of all the strange things that have been going on here. Okay. First of all, the mirror smashing to dust when none of us heard it. And then all of the things that have been disappearing and ending up someplace else. Me tripping over things that aren't there. Just now, I heard you whisper my name in my ear, Alice, but you weren't even in the room. And then how the whole house has been freezing, even though the thermostat says it's 80 degrees in here. And before any of that, the perfume..."

Edward frowned, his forehead creasing, "What perfume?"

"The first time I walked in the house, three days ago, I smelled my mother's favorite perfume, and I've been smelling it on and off ever since. Don't you think it's been too long for it to still be lingering in the air?"

Alice snorted, "What, Bella? Do you think you have a ghost?"

I ignored her and turned to Edward, "Do you still have your laptop here?" I asked, but he was already digging it out of the laptop bag.

Rolling her eyes, Alice stood up, "I'm going to get a drink. Anyone want anything?"

Edward and I both shook our heads, and as soon as Alice got up, Edward took her place beside me, sitting close enough for our thighs to touch, and turned his laptop slightly so that we both could see it. As he did, our arms brushed, and he cleared his throat. God I loved it when he was this close to me.

As soon as the computer was booted up, he typed "signs of a haunting" in the search engine. Thousands of results popped up.

"Ugh," I lamented, "how are we going to get through all of these?"

Edward grimaced. "One at a time, I guess."

He clicked on the first one. The page popped up almost immediately, and we were both silent as we read. It seemed very straight forward and listed experiences that people had, who lived in supposedly haunted places: knocking, footsteps, voices, being touched by something that is not there, things moving, cold spots, the feeling of a presence when no one else was around, doors opening and closing, lights turning on and off, electronics going haywire.

Edward clicked on a link and we were directed to a page that listed reasons why a person's spirit might linger after death: a quick and tragic, or otherwise unexpected, death, unfinished business, to watch over a loved one, an attachment to a particular person, place, or thing.

I sighed and leaned back against the couch, noting how my arm and leg moved against Edward's, "But how do I find out if all of the things that are going on are just in my head or if there really is something here? And how do I find out what this thing wants and why it's here?"

Without a word, Edward returned to the search engine and typed "how to communicate with a ghost".

Most of the listings on the first page were advertisements for psychics and mediums, and I groaned, "Please, no."

Edward chuckled and scrolled through the listings. I watched his face as he concentrated on the screen and clicked on a choice. I couldn't look away as he read the page that had loaded. He looked so serious and intent on what he was doing, and I wondered if he would have that face during sex. I was picturing him hovering above me, naked, moving in and out of me, bringing my body the most unimaginable pleasure ever, so when he spoke and brought me back to reality, I jumped.

"Hey, let's try this," he suggested.

"Anything..." I whispered.

He turned to look at me, "What?"

Oh God, did I really say that out loud? I cleared my throat and sat forward to look at the laptop. "I'm sorry, what did you find?"

A small smile graced his face as he looked back at the screen. "This says that we can try to collect "EVPs". EVP stands for "Electronic Voice Phenomenon". We get a voice recorder or a tape recorder of some sort, ask questions, and see if we get a voice on the recording that we didn't hear at the time of the questioning. Do you have a recorder?"

I tried to think, trying to remember if my dad still had his cassette player in the basement, "I don't think so. I think we sold it in that garage sale Dad had before he moved to Phoenix."

"Sold what?" Alice asked, coming back into the room with a Diet Coke.

"His cassette player," I said, still reading the website.

"Oh, are you going to do an EVP session?" Both Edward and I looked at her incredulously, "What? My roommate during my freshman year used to watch those ghost hunting shows, constantly. God, they irritated me to no end."

"Yeah, but I don't have anything to record with..." I began.

Alice furrowed her brow, deep in thought. Suddenly Edward leaned into me, shifting onto his right hip to dig something out of his left pocket. Please don't move, please don't move. Unfortunately, he straightened back up and proudly held up his iPhone with a triumphant smile.

"Your phone?" Alice scoffed.

"It has a voice recorder function," he explained.

Alice squealed and clapped her hands as I stood up, moving to close the windows that we had opened to help the paint dry better. At first, I closed them just so no one outside would hear us, but I then realized that it would keep outside noises from showing up on the recorder. The three of us convened in the living room again, and just as I was about to speak, I saw Edward frown and Alice sniff the air.

"What's that smell?" Edward wondered.

I sniffed and then spoke in a shaky voice, "My mom's perfume."

Edward immediately pushed a button on the phone, "Okay. It's recording."

Alice and Edward took turns asking some mundane questions. What's your name, do you have a message, and the like.

They both looked at me. "I don't know what to say," I giggled, nervously, "I feel kinda silly talking to nothing."

Edward sat next to me again on the couch. Placing his phone next to the laptop on the coffee table, he took both of my hands in his, causing that old familiar electricity to pulse through me. "What would you say to your mom if she was here?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, "Mom?" I called out, "Are you still here with me?" I waited a few seconds, "Why are you still here? Please move on...you deserve to be at peace now." I felt my throat closing up and I reached for Alice's Coke, thinking a drink would help me relax. I didn't want to cry though this.

"I miss you, Mom," I whispered. "I'm trying to do my best, to make you proud. Daddy says he's proud. He's in Phoenix now, and he seems happy." I sniffled, "I'm trying to be happy, too, but it's so hard. Most of the time I just feel kind of lost, like I can't get my bearings, like I'm just kind of floating through life, missing all the good stuff. Please, tell me what to do; please, tell me how to be happy," I begged through my tears. I couldn't speak anymore so I just leaned forward with my elbows on my knees and my face in my hands. Edward dropped my hands and moved his hand to rub my back.

"Okay, I think that's enough for now," Alice commented.

Edward clicked off the voice recorder and started to play it back from the beginning. I wandered to the kitchen and got a bottle of water. Instead of returning to the couch, I stood looking out the window as Alice and Edward huddled around his phone. The only thing I could hear was our distorted voices asking crazy questions and not receiving any answers.

Until my last plea.

As I asked for my mom to tell me what to do to be happy, I heard a breath come from the phone's speaker. Edward and Alice looked at each other, then at me as I crossed the room to them. Edward rewound the recording a few seconds.

My voice said, "Please tell me how to be happy."

"hho...eh...ahh."

The room was silent for two whole minutes before I said, "Play that again."

Edward played it several times, but there was no way to make out what the whisper was saying. Alice watched as Edward held the speaker of the phone up to his ear, trying to hear it better.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, jumping up. Alice ran to the front hall and returned with her purse. After digging for several seconds, she held up a pair of ear buds from her own phone. She reached out for Edward's iPhone.

"Alice, you're a genius," Edward muttered as he handed the phone over.

"I know," she chirped, "These should work perfectly. Forty dollar noise canceling earphones!" I almost laughed.

Alice plugged the ear buds into the phone and stuck the ends into her own ears. She pressed a button and listened intently. We watched as an uncharacteristic frown worked its way across her face. She replayed the recording over and over, the frown deepening and her breathing becoming labored.

"Alice," I whispered, "what is it?"

She looked at me as if she had forgotten I was there. "Maybe you should sit down, Bella." Alice put her hands on my shoulders and sat me on the center cushion before she sat to my right. Edward sat to my left. Wordlessly, she handed me one ear bud and one to Edward. After queuing up the recording, she pushed play.

Edward gasped.

"Again," I commanded Alice. And then I made her play it eight more times as if somehow the whispered words would change. They didn't.

Alice pressed play for the ninth time. I listened, "Please, tell me what to do; please, tell me how to be happy."

A voice sighed back to me, "home...Edward..."

I yanked the ear bud out of my ear, effectively yanking it out of Edward's, as well. I threw them to the coffee table. One of the buds hit the screen of Edward's laptop, drawing my attention to the search engine that was still on the screen.

One word was in the search box.

Mom.

"What the fuck?" I demanded.

Edward and Alice frowned at each other, "What is it, B?" Edward put a hand on my shoulder.

I shook his hand off and pointed to the screen, "That!" I screamed, "Who did that?" I suddenly curled in on myself, pulling my feet up onto the couch in front of me and hugging my legs to my chest. I then laid my forehead on my knees and attempted to shut out the rest of the world. I couldn't take this. I couldn't deal. What kind of world did we live in?

I must have done a decent job of shutting the world out because the next thing I knew, I was waking up on the couch in between Alice and Edward. The sun was going down out the living room window. Alice had pulled me against her and had put my head on her shoulder, her arms around my waist. Edward was holding my hand.

I immediately felt remorse. My friends were amazing, and I felt bad for the way I had yelled at them. I squeezed Edward's hand tighter and nuzzled my cheek into Alice's shoulder and fell back to sleep.

When I awoke some time later, I was stretched out across the couch with my feet in Alice's lap and my head in Edward's lap. I could feel his fingers running through my hair, and when I opened my eyes, I was surprised to see him staring down at me.

"Sleep well?" he asked, smiling gently.

"Yeah, I guess. How long was I out?" I asked, as I sat up and stretched, immediately missing the warmth of Edward's lap beneath my cheek and his fingers in my hair.

"A few hours. Edward made some pasta and saved you a plate if you're hungry," Alice replied with a tentative smile. She stood and stretched her legs while Edward remainedon the couch, watching me intently with an odd look on his face

"Thanks, but I'm still not very hungry. It's really been a long day and despite the fact that I just slept for the past few hours, I'm still feeling drained. I think I'm going to head up to my room and read or something, maybe think about the stuff that happened today. I'm so confused and creeped out and a hundred other emotions that I can't even begin to explain right now. I kinda need to process it all. Thanks for being there for me today, guys. I don't know what I'd do without you two."

I went upstairs with the intention of reading, or doing anything to take my mind off of the fact that my mother, or rather her spirit, was apparently still in the house. The concept was so foreign to me. I didn't even believe in ghosts, really, but the signs were kind of hard to miss in this case. I thought of my mom and what could be keeping her here. Was she here to watch over me? Did she have something unresolved? Did she miss my dad? Was she still here because he left and she needs closure of some kind? After the pain of her sickness, it made me feel almost guilty that she wasn't at rest. She should be at peace.

I wondered if she had done the same things to my dad when he was here that we had been experiencing, and if that was why he pushed for the move to Arizona? I resolved to call him in the next day or so to ask, as soon as I could figure out just how to do that without sounding like a freaking lunatic.

Sleep came easier that night than I thought it would, and I thankfully slept dreamlessly, awoken the next morning by a super chipper Alice, who bounded into my room with a full on breakfast feast on a tray. All of my favorites present and accounted for. God love the tiny dynamo.

"Rise and shine, Belly Bean! We need to be up and out in an hour, so eat up and toss on something comfortable but cute...never forget cute. We're going to take a break from all of the hard work we've been doing and go on a little trip today," she said rubbing her hands together, evil villain style, which had me more than a little worried. Knowing Alice the way I did, "Little trip" was Alice speak for shopping.

Things with Alice were always fun and extremely well planned out. In the past few days she had reorganized the cupboards in the kitchen, helped pick out paint, oversaw most of the work Edward and I did, in addition to all of the stuff she did herself. She was truly amazing.

As I finished breakfast, she explained that she had someone who was going to come in to clean all of the upholstery and carpets while she took us shopping for costumes, which were, in her opinion, and of course had always been in my mother's as well, mandatory for the annual shebang.

A few hours later, we all found ourselves at the only place in all of Port Angeles that had a decent enough selection of costumes to suit Alice's needs. Edward mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "Fuck all if I'm doing this again," as he wandered away, desperately trying not to call attention to himself as Alice dragged me off into the woman's costume section of the store.

Everyone and their uncle was coming to this thing and Alice maintained that our costumes had to be the best. After what seemed like ages of her going through piles of costumes, she picked a really cute and sexy Alice in Wonderland costume, complete with a long blond wig.

"Jasper won't know what hit him," she said with a giggle.

"Jasper Hale? From high school?" I responded incredulously. She had always had a thing for him but he was a few years older and never paid us any mind.

"Oh yeah, our cousin Emmett is bringing Jasper's sister, Rosalie to the party and said that Jasper was back in town, and so he's coming with them. He is so going to be mine. Now, enough about my man, let's find you a costume."

We went through the hordes of costumes, Alice pulled some out and placed them in the dressing room. I noticed that they all had a theme to them.

"Really, Ali? Disney?" She had to be kidding.

"Yes! No one else will be doing Disney, and we can't risk anyone showing up in the same costumes as us. Even Edward is doing Disney. Although, I had to find something cool enough for him to agree to."

"Really? What's he wearing?"

"Oh no, I'm not telling you. You will just have to wait and see. And I must say, the boy looks good in it."

"Alice-"

"Oh shut up, I know you have the hots for Edward, everyone does, Bells. You know, our moms used to comment on it all the time when we were in high school. They always wanted the two of you to finally realize how perfect you are for each other and get together, but it never happened. I must admit, I was surprised you two never got together, considering your crush wasn't exactly one sided back then."

I wanted to ask her what she meant but she was off again.

"This is it! It's abso-fucking-lutely perfect!" She ran back to me holding up a small hanger with some sparkly fabric hanging off of it by a few small clips.

"Alice, I am not wearing that! Where's the rest of it?"

The costume in her hand was beautiful and elaborate, as I took a closer look at it, but tiny. There was no way it would even cover my whole ass.

"Just go try it on. It's perfect, you'll see. This was made for you!"

Of course, she was right. As uncomfortable as I was with all the skin I was showing in it, it was flattering. Maybe Edward would notice me more when he saw me in it.

Wait, what was I thinking? Did I really want to go that route? Did I want Edward like that?

Fuck yes, I did. When he had his arms around me the other day it was glorious, but the thought of seriously making a play for him scared the shit out of me.

"Okay, I'll take the costume." Alice jumped up and down and ran to grab some shoes that she said were perfect for the costume. If I knew her, they were going to be sky high and life threatening, but they'd be hot.

She grabbed the costume from my hands and ran to the front as I redressed, most likely trying to pay for everything before I was done.

We left the store, garment bags in hand, and met Edward at the car. He had no bags with him, and I raised a brow as if questioning what he had been doing all this time while we tried on costumes. As we settled in the car and headed toward home, he answered my unspoken question.

"Alice bought my costume last week, B. I've had the pleasure of chilling here for the past two hours playing video games," he said, waving his iPhone at us.

"Again with the phone, Edward?" Alice asked, exasperated. "He almost never puts that thing down."

"I'm not that bad, Ali." he replied, indignantly.

I laughed at the two of them. "Seriously though, Edward, what can't that thing do? It's a video game console, you can talk to the dead with it … can you actually make an honest to goodness call on it?"

"Hardy-har-har, B!" Edward answered.

The rest of the drive home was spent with Edward trying to guess what we were going to be wearing for the costume party. He guessed the theme correctly based on his costume.

"B, I was just happy she didn't make me dress up as one of the dwarfs from Snow White or the skunk from Bambi."

"Edward, you would have made a great Dopey and the world's most adorable Flower, maybe next year," Alice added gleefully from the back seat.

We stopped off on the way home and picked up a pizza, which we ate while sitting in front of the TV watching old Night Rider reruns.

Not long after, Alice was snoozing next to me on the sofa with her head on my shoulder. She snored softly, causing Edward to laugh.

I lifted her head lightly and laid it back against the arm of the sofa, placing a blanket over her before picking up the empty pizza box and glasses to take them to the kitchen. I passed the trash can and dropped the pizza box on top as I made my way to the sink and once again tripped over something on the floor, sending one of the glasses in my hand flying and shattering on the floor at my feet. I carefully stepped around the glass shards and grabbed the dustpan, turning back to see what it was that I tripped on, once again finding nothing.

This was starting to freak me out. I know I felt something this time, but there was nothing on the floor. Could I really be tripping over air? I bent to pick up the larger pieces of glass and was startled when I heard Edward enter the kitchen with a gasp, breaking me out of my internal debate and causing me to slice the pad of my pointer finger on the piece of glass in my hand.

"Ouch, fuck!"

"B, are you alright? I heard the glass break."

"I'm fine, Edward, just sliced my finger a bit on a piece of glass."

Edward grabbed the broom and swept up the remainder of broken glass while I rinsed my finger and wrapped it in a towel.

"Sit and let me look at it, will you?"

Ah, I forgot that Mr. Pre-Med would want to play doctor. Personally, I would rather have kept it wrapped up, as I couldn't stomach the sight of blood, but I knew he wouldn't let it alone until he looked it over. He had always been that way, which is why it surprised no one when he decided to go to Medical School. And honestly, I would play doctor with him anytime.

I sat down on a kitchen chair and shivered as he pulled my chair closer to his, suddenly feeling self conscious in my pajama shorts and tank top. He was so close; I could feel the heat radiating from his body against my bare skin. My nipples tightened against the thin white tank, and I thought I heard his breath hitch but when I looked at him, his eyes were gazing intently on my damaged digit.

He had a shock of hair falling over his forehead that my free hand itched to sweep back from his brow, but he beat me to it, and pushed his hand through his hair. Then he looked up from my finger.

"Well, it looks to be clean and fine to me, B. What happened this time?"

"I tripped again," I said quietly, unable to meet his eyes with my own. Neither of us apparently wanted to say what we were thinking in that moment.

He let out a deep breath and placed his hand on my bare knee. His hand was so warm against my chilled skin.

"What am I going to do with you?" he asked, his eyes shining in amusement. His hand stroked my knee almost absently as he looked at me, his eyes no longer glittered. They were now smoldering.

"Edward, I-"

He leaned in slowly as my voice trailed off and placed his lips on mine, effectively silencing any answer I could make.

His lips were as soft and warm as I remembered. I could taste the spicy pizza sauce from our dinner and the sweetness from the iced tea he had been drinking and a flavor that was all Edward. I sifted my fingers through his hair, playing with his thick silky locks, lightly scratching his scalp and causing him to moan into my mouth. I took the opportunity to let my tongue slip between his lips and rub against his. His hand tightened on my leg before he ran it up the length of my thigh, flirting with the edge of my sleep shorts. His other hand, which had been resting against my waist, was now caressing up and down my side as we continued to kiss.

I wasn't sure if he urged me over or if I initiated it, but I was soon straddled on his lap as he sat on the kitchen chair, his hand cupping my ass tightly. One hand caressed my toned flesh above my bottom while the other traveled up my ribs, ghosting over my breast and budded nipple before he dragged the strap of my tank top down and let his lips kiss the unencumbered skin of my shoulder and neck, kissing and nibbling his way to my earlobe and sucking it into his mouth for a nibble.

"Oh God, Edward." I was so far beyond caring where we were, even if it was out in the open where his sister could find us. I just wanted him, and I wanted him now, naked and in me, on me, over me.

Of course, as if on cue, Alice called out from the living room.

"Hey, where did everyone go?" her sleepy voice broke the sex spell that held Edward and I captive in the kitchen, and we scrambled apart like two kids getting caught making out by their parents on a school night.

"Shit, fuck," Edward mumbled to himself as he left the room in a hurry.

I wanted to race after him but I knew Alice would want to know what happened and I really didn't want to answer her questions right now. I was tired. Horny and tired, and if I couldn't have Edward, then I was going to bed.

"Hey, Bells, what's up?"

"Nothing, Ali, just gonna head to bed," I responded, pushing my chair in.

"Are you okay, Bella? You're all flushed and your neck is all red. Come to think of it, your face is too and your lips look swollen…" Shit, she was on to me. "Bella? Where's Edward? What happened between you two?"

"Alice, I'm fine. Edward's in bed, I think, and nothing, okay? Does that answer all of your questions?"

"No. It doesn't. I know something is up. If I'm not mistaken, you guys were, at the very least, if all my suspicions are correct, making out. Not that I mind, Bells, I think Edward needs someone as good as you in his life and you know it would make our parents, your mom especially, very happy. I just want to make sure you're okay and cool with it happening, finally."

"Alice, I'm fine. I don't really want to talk about it. We kissed and he bolted, that's it. He probably thinks it was a big mistake anyway."

"You're wrong about that, Bella. Even Edward knows that you two could never be a mistake."

"We'll see, Ali. I'm gonna head to bed. See you in the morning."

Lucky for me she let it drop and hadn't mentioned it over the next few days as we were super busy making the final plans for the party.

Emmett showed up the day before Halloween, and in his own words, "ready for mischief", cracking everyone up with his stories about driving from Seattle with Jasper and Rosalie. All three of them were staying with Edward and Alice's parents since they had all the extra room with the two of them staying with me. Em and Rosalie had been an item for a while, and Rosalie and Jasper had decided to move back into town recently and were looking for a place or places as the case may be, since Em was trying to persuade Rosalie to move in with him, unsuccessfully thus far.

We had them all over for dinner that night, and I watched Alice nonchalantly try to entice Jasper, who lucky for Alice, seemed genuinely interested in her.. It was nice to see the two of them getting to know each other and really hit it off.

Edward and I really hadn't spoken that much since the kitchen incident, which is what I was now calling it.

As I laid in bed that night looking at the garment bag hanging from the back of my door, a plan began to form. If I wanted to get Edward to notice me tomorrow, to finally admit he wanted me as much as I wanted him, I needed to pull out the big guns, I needed the help of the diabolical pixie herself. No one knew Edward better than Alice and if getting him meant I had to admit to her that I wanted her brother naked in my bed, than as embarrassing as that shit was going to be, I was going to bite the bullet and do it.

The morning came quickly, bringing with it the cold , drizzling rain, and thunder which fit in perfectly with the decor and general feel that Alice had chosen for the party. She had chosen a very eerie mad scientist's lab theme, complete with odd looking machines and jars filled with creepy colored liquids and body parts. I wasn't sure where she got it all but it looked amazing.

Morning flowed into afternoon as we all rushed around placing finishing touches on everything and directing the caterers that Alice had hired as they set up food tables. We had a DJ coming and a bartender serving specialty martinis with names like Passion Bloody Passion, and Oozy Orange Goo, just to name a few.

Alice dragged me upstairs a few hours before guests were due to arrive, leaving Edward to help the DJ set up his speakers and test his equipment.

I sat watching as Alice transformed herself into, well, Alice, in wonderland, that is. I had to admit, she looked cute as a blond, and once her cute white knee socks and sky high maryjanes were in place, I knew Jasper had no chance. She was dressed to impress; she would get her man.

It turned out I didn't even need to tell her about my torrid evening plans, she was able to guess herself and set about making me the sexiest I could be.

I had been directed to shower and exfoliate and smooth on some super thick, super luxurious shimmery lotion all over, which left my skin soft, silky, and glowing.

My hair was curled and lay in soft waves down my back and my eye makeup was done smoky with hints of green shadow and my lips slicked with a light shiny gloss that tasted like cherries.

She helped me into my costume and pursed her lips, looking at me before deciding that I needed to put my hair up to expose more of my shoulders and cleavage, dear God, the cleavage. She piled most of my hair on top of my head while letting random curls lay free, giving me what I could only describe as sex hair. I sat on the bed and waited while she came out with a very elaborate and delicate set of wings and a shoe box.

The shoes were first. They were extremely high stilettos with long ribbon ties that went halfway up my calves. Alice pinned the small wings to the back of the dress and led me to a mirror where I was able to finally see the finished product. I was amazed at the transformation. The color of the dress made my skin look creamy and radiant and the heels made my legs look super long and toned, I had to admit, I looked totally fucking amazing.

"Thanks, Ali."

"No thanks necessary … you are one hot ... Tinker Bella! Oh my god, I totally just realized…. That is sooo funny!" she laughed, obviously caught up in her joke as I continued to look at myself in the mirror.

"You don't think it's too much? Too obvious?"

"No way, you look totally fuckable in that, which, if it isn't your goal for the night, it should be, since no man is going to be able to keep his eyes off of you tonight. Your costume is totally boner inducing, Bells. All I ask is that you leave Jasper to me and keep your sexy times with my brother in non public areas, cuz I really don't need to see that shit."

I just shook my head and headed for the door. I wasn't going to dignify that with an answer.

I made my way slowly to the stairs as I heard the door bell ring. I slowly descended the stairs in an effort to not break my neck going down them in my dangerous fuck me heels, and I stopped midway down the stairs as Edward, resplendent in a full on Jack Sparrow pirate costume, let in our first guests.

Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw, I think I just came. He was wearing the tightest pants I had ever seen and they made me want to take a bite right out of his luscious ass. His shirt was a white linen tunic that he had open to mid chest showing off his tight body. He looked like pure sex. From the knee high boots, to the sashes and guns and the sword strapped to his waist, he was every pirate fantasy I had ever entertained magnified a thousand fold.

That clinched it. Before this night was over, Edward Cullen would be calling out my name as he came. I wanted to lick him, bite him, suck him, and fuck him. It was taking every ounce of will I had to not bolt down the stairs, push him down and ride his cock without a care for who was watching me do it.

Em, Rosalie, and Jasper were the ones at the door, and as I made it to the bottom of the stairs, Emmett's jaw dropped, and Rosalie gasped.

"Well hol-y shit, Bella! You make one hot Tink!" Emmett exclaimed, earning himself a smack and a smirk from Rosalie.

"Geez, Em, way to think with your wang! For reals though, Bella… I'm not a taco fan but I'd totally do you," Rosalie replied, giving Emmett another smack when he moaned and bit his knuckle at her words.

Their antics caused Edward to turn toward me as the door slammed behind him, making us both jump. His eyes widened and his jaw clenched as he took in my costume. The naked lust that showed on his face had me feeling somewhat self conscious but I steeled myself and got past it.

Tonight was not the night to wonder and worry and feel less than adequate, tonight was all about action. Tonight, I was going to get my man, finally. So, instead of blushing and stumbling through a response, I smiled jauntily and responded.

"Thanks for that, Rose, but at this here taco stand we only serve the men folk, and even then, our clientele is very select," I said with a saucy wink at Edward and Emmett.

"Shit, son, we better watch out for miss Bella here. She's trouble" Emmett replied with a nudge to Edward's ribs.

Edward just stood there, a forced smile on his face as Rosalie dragged Emmett off to get drinks and locate Alice, leaving Edward and I alone.

"B … you look… I mean … that costume is …" Edward stammered.

"Yes?" I was interested in what he thought of what I was wearing.

"Bella, come over here and tell Rose about what happened with Edward's laptop!"

Alice, the cock blocker. That was going to be her new name. Every time I was getting somewhere with Edward, she found a way to bust it up. I wasn't sure if she was doing that shit on purpose, but I was so close to telling her about herself.

Frustrated and with an apologetic smile, I left Edward to answer the door to more guests and went to talk to Rose and Alice.

It was a few hours later when I finally saw Edward again, but he wasn't alone. Jessica Stanley had cornered him by the DJ table and was running her fingers up and down his chest and his head was bent down towards her, as he listened to something she was saying into his ear.

My heart sank at the sight of another woman touching him in the way I wanted to so badly. I needed a breath of fresh air, and to get away from the loud music and sweaty bodies taking up every available inch of free space that Alice had cleared as a makeshift dance floor.

I spun on my heel, in an attempt to make a hasty exit, and banged my knee on the leg of one of the food tables set off to the side, and I literally saw stars. The pain was so excruciating. Against my better judgment, I glanced over my shoulder at Edward, only to see him looking back at me, his hands pushing Jessica's politely but firmly off of his chest.

He mouthed what I thought might have been my name, all the while fighting to make his way through the tightly packed bodies. Now completely mortified to be caught fleeing, I resolved to get where I was going faster. Teetering slightly on my heels, I made my way up the stairs and rushed into my bedroom. I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, breathing a heavy sigh, part in relief, part in frustration.

I was stupid to think that a short dress and some makeup were going to get Edward to notice me.

Just as my nerves calmed slightly there was a loud and frantic knock on my door.

"B? Are you in there?" Edward yelled through the door. The music downstairs was so loud I could barely hear him over it, despite the fact that we were mere inches apart.

Shit. I had been found out. I had no idea what to say to him. I pushed away from the door and sat down unceremoniously on the edge of my bed.

He knocked again and then turned the knob, poking in his head when I didn't respond.

"Hey, B, can I come in?" he asked hesitantly.

"Sure, Edward. What's up?" He entered and shut the door behind him with a click.

"Um, I wanted to check on you. You left kinda abruptly and it looked like you banged your knee pretty hard. Is it okay?" He walked over and knelt down beside the bed, his fingers reaching out to gingerly touch my leg.

The second his fingertips touched my bare flesh, my body was a live wire. I could feel the heat coming off of him in waves, and he smelled delicious. I just wanted to lean forward, stick my nose in his messy, sexified locks and breathe deeply.

Still distracted by his closeness and smell, I was brought back to the present as his fingers tested my now swollen and bruised knee.

"Ouch!" I sucked in a pained breath.

"Sorry, B, your knee is a bit swollen and you've got a small cut, but it looks okay to me. I just want to get some peroxide and a band aid to clean and cover it. Do you have stuff like that in the bathroom?"

"Yeah, the first aid kit is under the sink," I said as I gazed down at my knee to see how swollen it was.

Edward turned to leave, but turned back toward me after a moment.

"Hey, B? Does your door lock from the inside or outside?" he asked as he jiggled the handle.

"Um, the inside, why?"

"Well, I don't want to alarm you or anything, but I can't seem to open the door."

I got up from the bed, made my way over to the door and tried the handle myself, finding that Edward was correct. The door wouldn't budge.

He snorted and shook his head at me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing, B," he said with a little laugh.

"That's not nothing. What are you laughing at?"

"You. I tried the handle. I told you it wouldn't open, but you still had to try it for yourself. You don't trust me, B?" Edward replied with a smirk.

"Edward, I trust you. I trust you with just about everything, no scratch that. I trust you with everything."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Oh hey, we could call Alice downstairs. Maybe she could open the door from the outside. Where's your phone?" I asked.

"Seriously, B, does it look like I could fit anything in the pockets of these pants?" he replied, turning this way and that, calling to my attention his deliciously toned thighs and squeezable ass.

"Um-" I was blushing again, with all the dirty things that were running through my head.

"So, I'm guessing you don't have your phone in here either?"

"Nope. It's downstairs in the hall closet, in my purse."

"Got anything in here that I could try to pick the lock with? Credit card? Hairpin? Butter knife?"

"Edward, I don't usually make a habit of keeping random utensils and cutlery in my bedroom, and I usually just put my hair in a ponytail or leave it swinging free, so that's a no on the hairpins, as well."

We rummaged around trying different things out on the lock, but nothing got the door to budge. The lock wasn't even in the locked position.

We tried banging on it and yelling and screaming, and just about everything but pulling the door off the hinges, but from the sounds of the bumping music coming from downstairs, it was obvious that no one heard us.

Finally, exhausted from our efforts, we collapsed, Edward on the floor by the door, me by my bed, my legs extended out in front of me.

It dawned on me suddenly that I was alone with Edward, the man I had been lusting after and in love with for years, stuck in a locked room, complete with a big comfy bed, wearing almost nothing.

If this wasn't serendipity, then I didn't know what was. Maybe it was my mom.

"Well, if we're going to be locked up in this room all night, might was well make the best of it…" I began cautiously, peeking at Edward to gauge his response.

His eyes widened slightly at my words and he shifted to a more upright seated position, letting me know silently that I now had his complete attention.

I ran my hand slowly down my leg toward the ties at my right shoe.

"I guess that means I can take these off-"

"No! I mean … I um-"

I smirked, "What, Edward? Do you like these?" I said as I toyed with the ribbon.

"Yes, I mean no- I mean they're nice and they make- fuck, Bella, you know you look absolutely hot in that costume …" he was totally flustered and frustrated, roughly tugging at his hair.

"I do?" I asked coyly, wanting to draw this out a bit. I wanted him and I think he wanted me, but I wanted him to need me. I needed him to need me.

He stood abruptly.

"Bella, I- I'm not sure what to say here, what to do … I want you, so fucking much right now." He stalked to stand in front of me, his hands clenched into tight fists, his eyes blazing with need as he looked down at me.

I clambered up, less than graceful in my dangerous heels, to stand mere inches from him, looked him dead in the eyes, and said the one thing I have been dying to say for what seemed like ages.

"Then have me, Edward. I'm yours. I always have been."

He looked at me incredulously for a moment, seemingly shocked by my admission, before his gorgeous face broke out into the biggest, sexiest grin I had ever seen.

Not wanting to lose momentum or chicken out, I stepped closer to him, and my hands raised to touch his cheeks as I pulled his face closer and crashed my lips to his. His arms immediately came around me as he dragged me to him. I moaned at the full body contact, sliding my hands down his chest, reveling in the sculpted planes beneath my fingers.

I slid my hands inside the opening of his shirt to feel his hot naked skin beneath my fingers. He plunged his hands into my hair, released it from its clip and let it fall in cascading waves around my shoulders as he pulled back from kissing me and sucked in a breath.

"B, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," Edward said quietly, reverently.

He walked us backward toward the bed, my hands plucking at the sashes and accessories to his costume, pulling them off and dropping them unceremoniously onto the floor. I wanted him naked and I wanted it now. I wasn't going to hesitate.

His lips were on my neck sucking at the sensitive skin, making me moan loudly in his ear; his lips were absolute magic on me. His hands were roaming my body almost as if they didn't know where to go first. They stroked my shoulders, ghosted over my breasts, his fingers rubbing my already hardened and super sensitive nipples beneath the fabric of the tiny sequined fairy dress. His hands clutched at my hips as I slid mine down to his waist and removed his sword belt and let it, too, fall to the floor with a clatter.

His fingers teased the hem of my dress, just barely caressing the silkiness of my thighs before he began to inch it up, revealing my tiny lace panties and letting one long finger dip between my legs and trace a firm line along my damp core.

"Sweet Jesus, Edward!" I groaned at the pleasure of his hands finally touching me where I wanted him to.

He bent slightly, his tongue licking my collar bone, his other hand caressing my aching breasts. I prayed to heaven almighty that he would move just a few inches lower because I swore that I was going to perish if I didn't feel his tongue on my tight aching nipples soon.

Almost as if he heard me, he lowered the straps of my dress and inched it down under my breasts.

"So perfect," he said as he lowered his head to my breast and placed a small kiss on my overly sensitive nipple, and as his warm breath washed over my skin, I shivered.

I wanted him so badly, I was going out of my mind. I whimpered as he finally sucked my distended nipple into his mouth and flicked it with his tongue. I removed my arms from the straps of my dress and let it puddle at my feet, leaving me naked with the exception of my panties and ribbon heels. My hands, now free from their sequined prison, clutched at his hair, pulling hard and pressing him tighter to my heaving chest, causing him to moan around my moist peak as his hand flicked and plucked at my other nipple in time with his sucking mouth. I could feel my moisture seeping through the lace of my panties, threatening to drip down my thighs.

Edward ground his hard erection into my belly, seeking friction, and I was all for it. I pulled my hands from his hair to tug his shirt from his waistband, and I pushed him back from me long enough to lift it up and over his head and toss it behind me.

He gathered me close again and pressed our naked upper bodies together. I loved the feel of his muscular chest and rock hard abs pressed into me. I writhed against him wanting to feel his bulging cock closer to where I needed it most, and he responded by lifting my leg and wrapping it around his hip as he rubbed his hard dick against my now soaked pussy.

"Holy fuck, Edward. Please, I need you."

"Yes, Bella, oh God, I want to be inside you."

With one hand braced on his shoulder, I used my free hand to undo the button on his pants and slid my hand inside, finally touching him. Fuck, he was huge.

I broke out into a sweat just thinking of trying to fit all of him inside me. I was no virgin, but my limited experience had definitely not prepared me for what he was packing. I let my hand travel up and down his length, squeezing and stoking his hardness as I sat down on the edge of the bed.

I removed my hand from his pants and proceeded to inch his zipper down slowly, licking my lips in anticipation. I was dying to get a look at him, and a taste.

He seemed to have an idea of where I was taking this and assisted me in removing his pants and boxer briefs, sliding them down his legs in one fell swoop. I chuckled as they hit the floor, and he blushed at his own eagerness.

Even his cock was perfect. It was thick and long and incredibly hard. I couldn't wait to have him in my mouth. I leaned forward, my eager mouth mere inches from the promise land.

"Bella, you don't have to-"

"Shh, Edward, I want to taste you," I said as I stroked his firm member, causing his breath to hiss from his mouth, and leaned forward to lick the very tip of him, tasting the drop of moisture that had collected there. He was delicious, and I couldn't help myself as I parted my lips and slid the first few inches of his cock into my mouth.

"ShitFuckMotherofGod!" Edward yelled as I slid his cock deeper, hollowed my cheeks and sucked hard.

I started a rhythm, bobbing my head, taking him a little bit deeper into my warm, wet mouth and swirling my tongue over the head with each pass. He began to really get into it, making soft, intense groaning and whimpering noises as I continued to suck him off, my hand stroking what I couldn't fit into my mouth.

His hands made their way to my hair, and he started to shift his hips as I continued my bobbing and swirling. It was so fucking hot, having him fuck me this way, that I couldn't help it as my hand ran down my body, plucking at my nipples and making their way to my aroused center. I slid my fingers over my damp panties and pushed them to the side and began rubbing my clit in earnest, moaning around his cock at the sensation of my own fingers bringing me immediately close to orgasm.

"Yes, Bella, so hot. Touch yourself for me. I want you to make yourself come for me."

His hands moved from my hair, back to my nipples, rubbing and pulling, pushing me over the edge.

My body quivered and shook with the force of my orgasm. Edward pulled his cock from my mouth with a pop, his erection bobbing wildly with the movement, and pushed me back on the bed, taking to his knees in front of me, between my legs.

"I have to taste you now, Bella. I've been waiting forever for this." Edward's voice was rough with desire.

He removed my now ruined panties and spread my thighs wide to look at me, bringing on a full body blush.

"I love the way you blush for me," he said with a soft laugh.

I moaned again as he traced my wet flesh with his finger, slid it inside me and moved his face between my legs to swipe my clit with one sure stroke of his tongue.

"You taste fucking delicious, B."

He went at it with passion, licked and flicked at my clit with his tongue before he sucked it into his mouth and nibbled gently, which launched me into my second orgasm, my head thrashing on the bed as my body convulsed and my hips bucked against his face.

"Ahhhh, Eddwaarrrrd!"

"God yes, Bella … come for me again." He was beginning to sound frantic as he lifted himself off of his knees and climbed onto the bed over me, kissing me ferociously, letting me taste my own arousal on his lips.

"I'm not done yet, B, you better hold on tight." His green eyes were deep and glittering.

My hands stroked his hard cock, and he pushed himself against my hand, his breathing erratic. He rose to his knees again, taking one of my thighs in each of his hands and lifted my legs to his shoulders, kissing and licking my calves as he set them where he wanted them, before taking hold of his glorious cock and bringing it to my entrance.

"Please, Edward, I want you inside me now," I pleaded with him, begging for him to fill me.

He slid home in one thrust, aided by the wetness caused by my two previous intense orgasms. I had never come so hard in my life and he didn't look like he was going to be letting up, either.

He was so big, he paused to let me get used to the size of him before he began to move in and out of me, his thrusts punctuated by groans from deep within his chest. His hooded eyes slid closed, as if the lids were too heavy to hold up.

"Shit, B. God. Feels so good..."

I could feel his stony length hitting me deeper than I had ever thought possible with each hard thrust. In and out, he roughly pushed himself against me, into me, making me whimper and cry out as I got closer to yet another peak.

He sensed my impending climax and aided it by reaching between us and pinching my clit, driving me over the edge. Dear God, I think I almost blacked out that time. I could feel my sex pulsing around him as he slid inside me, hitting me in my special place with each thrust. It was almost too much. Almost. His hips began moving faster as I rode out my release, the sound of our skin slapping together oddly loud over the dulled thumping of the music coming from the party below us.

Our breathing labored, our skin, sweat slick, he continued to pound into me, his pace increased once more. His hands drifted down and clutched my toned ass as he plunged deep into me, his fingers digging into me hard enough to leave marks, but I couldn't care less.

I was going to come again, and I was going out of my mind with it.

"Please, Edward, no more, I can't take it!"

My words seemed to egg him on. His hips moved like lightning as he approached his own climax and exploded inside of me with one last, deep thrust. He held me to him as he called out my name in ecstasy, letting my legs fall from his shoulders as he collapsed on top of me, bracing himself on his arms to keep from crushing me.

I glorified in the feel of him on top of me, enjoying his warmth and weight as we both came down from our high.

Edward's face nestled into the crook of my neck. "Bella, I love you," he whispered, so softly, I wasn't sure I was supposed to hear it.

And for the first time in two years, I felt like I was home. I didn't feel lost anymore. I was found.

As our bodies cooled, we separated briefly to clean ourselves up a bit with tissues from my nightstand and slid beneath the cool sheets to snuggle in our post coital bliss and before we knew it we were fast asleep.

I woke the next morning to the feel of Edward's strong arm around my waist and his breath on the back of my hair. I smiled and sighed happily as the events of the night before flooded my mind. Edward. My Edward. Just as I had always been his, he had always been mine.

I quirked an eyebrow at the still closed door, wondering how we were going to get out of my room. Just then, Edward shifted behind me, and I realized that I didn't care if we ever got out.

Although the heat from Edward's body had kept me pleasantly warm all night, I suddenly broke out in the now familiar goose bumps. My eyes searched the room for some sign of the cause of my discomfort, and what I saw made my eyes grow wide. Edward's arm tightened around me, and I knew that he saw it, too.

The air in front of my door was shimmering, like the heat coming off the asphalt on a summer day in Phoenix. As we watched, the shimmering intensified, and in the blink of an eye, she was there.

My Mom.

Tears stung my eyes and my heart wanted me to reach out to her, but my disbelieving brain wouldn't listen. She looked like she was about to evaporate at any second, and I opened my mouth to say something...anything to make her stay. I simply watched, frozen, as she slowly put a hand to her lips, and blew a kiss towards me. She then turned and gripped the door handle. It turned, easily. With just one smile for me, over her shoulder, she began walking through the door. Before she was even in the hallway, she had disappeared, taking with her the goose bumps, the uneasy feelings, and the sweet smell of her perfume.

The only sound for several minutes was our ragged breathing. Eventually, Edward turned me toward him. "Are you okay?" he asked, holding his hand to my cheek and wiping a tear with his thumb.

I smiled. "Yes. I'm great. I get the feeling she's finally happy."

He leaned his forehead onto mine. "But are you happy?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered against his lips, "Yes. I'm happy."

A few hours later found us in a miraculously clean kitchen, showered, dressed, and eating breakfast. Alice was nowhere to be found, and we assumed she had gone home with Jasper, since he had been following her around like a love-sick puppy the previous night.

Edward's laptop once again sat in the living room, on the coffee table, a blank Word document on the screen. There were three words on the document that neither of us had typed.

"Thank you, Edward."


End file.
